Chad’s Morning Brief: Americans Say Race Relations Under Obama Worst in Years, Dan Patrick Continues to Fight for Property Tax Cut, and Other Top Stories

According to CBS, a new poll shows that most Americans believe race relations are worse now than they have been in decades.

The CBS News/New York Times poll said 61 percent of Americans characterize race relations in the U.S. as “bad,” including a majority of white and black respondents. The figure is the highest since 1992.
A total of 79 percent of African-Americans believe police are more likely to use deadly force against a black person than against a white person, while 53 percent of whites believe race does not play a role, the survey said.

Black respondents were also more likely than white respondents to believe their local police make them feel anxious rather than safe, the poll said.

The latest poll came in the wake of the death of Freddie Gray in police custody in Baltimore – an incident that has sparked heated unrest. Similar negativity about race relations was last seen at the time of the Los Angeles riots following the acquittal of police officers in the beating of Rodney King, the poll said.

This was also the first time since 1997 that majorities of both white and black Americans believe race relations in the U.S. are poor, the poll said. Opinions among white Americans have grown sharply more negative in the poll even compared with earlier this year – with 62 percent of whites saying race relations are bad compared with just 35 percent in February.

Black respondents have historically had a more negative view than white respondents about race relations, but the level of pessimism is now similar, according to the poll.

Also, fewer than one in five white Americans think race relations are getting better – with 44 percent responding that relations are getting worse and 37 percent saying they’re staying about the same.

Most respondents – 64 percent of whites and 57 percent of blacks – thought the unrest in Baltimore following Gray’s death was not justified, the poll said.

It doesn't help that we have an administration that continues to play the race card time and time again. This administration continues to fan the flames of racial tension without offering real solutions. Instead the administration and other liberals continue with the same failed policies.

Dan Patrick Doesn't Want to Compromise

According to the Quorum Report, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick is not planning on backing away from demanding a property tax cut in the battle over the budget.

The “property tax relief” contained in SB 1 – in the form of an increased homestead exemption – along with SB 1760 will amount to lasting property tax relief that Patrick is completely committed to, sources said. That bill passed by the Senate last week would, among other things, require a 60 percent threshold for passage of tax increases by local governments.

The Lt. Gov. has been holding stakeholder meetings and in one of those meetings on Monday, Patrick showed absolutely no interest in even talking about the House’s plan to cut sales taxes. That's according to one of the people familiar with the talks.

According to Scott Braddock, Patrick has no interest in negotiating with the House. One has to wonder when Governor Greg Abbott will weigh in on the issue and take control of the debate.

These and many more topics coming up on today’s edition of The Chad Hasty Show. Tune in mornings 8:30-11am on News/Talk 790 KFYO, streaming online at kfyo.com, and now on your iPhone and Android device with the radioPup App. All guest interviews can be heard on our KFYO YouTube page after the show and online at kfyo.com.